Yard management device, yard management system and yard management method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of preventing a crane or an article being conveyed by the crane from colliding with another article in a yard even if a mismatch occurs between a yard map and an actual arrangement of articles in the yard.SOLUTION: A yard management system (1) includes: a crane control part (211) that operates a crane 60 to move an article based on a yard map prepared in advance to manage the position of a fixed article placed in the yard; a calculation part (213) that calculates the position of the article based on a signal output by a sensor 50 provided on the crane 60 while the body of the crane 60 is moving; and an output part (113) that compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation part 213 and, if a mismatch occurs, outputs information related to the mismatch.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for managing a yard in which articles such as slabs are placed. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known techniques for managing items such as slabs placed in yards. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of installing a distance measuring device at the tip of a stacker or reclaimer boom to measure the loading and unloading trajectories of a pile at multiple points, and creating a yard map that is close to the profile of an actual pile. Patent Document 2 discloses a slab stacking shape measuring device that includes a plurality of passing sensors arranged perpendicular to the conveying direction and in the stacking direction next to a moving machine that conveys piled slabs, and a data collection and calculation device that determines the stacking state of the slabs based on signals from the passing sensors. Also, a technique has been proposed for autonomously operating a crane that conveys items such as slabs in a yard. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-249229 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2007-199029 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In cases where the movement of goods within a yard involves workers manually moving goods within the yard or moving goods by manually operating a crane, if the workers forget to update the yard map managed by the system, a mismatch will occur between the yard map and the actual placement of goods in the yard. In such a situation, if the crane is operated according to the yard map managed by the system, problems such as the crane hitting the goods may occur. The technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 also have the problem of the above-mentioned mismatch occurring.

[0005] One aspect of the present invention aims to provide a technology that can prevent a crane or an item being carried by the crane from colliding with other items in the yard, even if a mismatch occurs between a yard map and the actual location of items in the yard. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a yard management device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a crane operation control unit that operates a crane to move standard items placed in a yard based on a yard map prepared in advance for managing the positions of the items, a calculation unit that calculates the position of the item based on a signal output by a sensor provided on the crane while the main body of the crane is moving, and an output unit that compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit and, if an inconsistency occurs, outputs information regarding the inconsistency.

[0007] According to the above configuration, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual placement of items in the yard, it is possible to prevent the crane or the items it is transporting from colliding with other items in the yard.

[0008] The yard management device may further include an update unit that updates the yard map based on the result of the movement of the item by the crane. With the above configuration, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual arrangement of items in the yard due to the crane moving the item, it is possible to prevent the crane or the item being transported by the crane from colliding with other items in the yard.

[0009] In the above-mentioned yard management device, the output unit may compare the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and if a mismatch occurs, output a control signal to the crane operation control unit to stop the operation of the crane. According to the above-mentioned configuration, by stopping the crane when a mismatch occurs, it is possible to prevent the crane or an item being transported by the crane from colliding with other items in the yard.

[0010] In the above-mentioned yard management device, the output unit may compare the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and if an inconsistency occurs, output information notifying the operator of the inconsistency. According to the above-mentioned configuration, if the yard map used for controlling the crane does not match the actual yard state, the operator can understand the fact and take action.

[0011] The above-mentioned yard management device may further include a yard map correction unit that corrects the yard map based on at least one of the position calculated by the calculation unit and correction information input by an operator indicating the correction content of the yard map when an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the position calculated by the calculation unit. According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to perform yard management by eliminating the inconsistency between the yard map used for controlling the crane and the actual yard state.

[0012] In the above-mentioned yard management device, when an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the position calculated by the calculation unit, the crane operation control unit moves the main body of the crane back and forth at least once within the yard, the calculation unit recalculates the position of the item within the yard based on an output signal from the sensor obtained by the movement of the main body of the crane, and the output unit compares the position recalculated by the calculation unit with the yard map. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent an inconsistency between the yard map used to control the crane and the actual yard state from being left unresolved.

[0013] The above-mentioned yard management device may further include a yard map correction unit that corrects the yard map based on at least one of the position calculated by the calculation unit and correction information input by an operator indicating the correction content of the yard map when an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the position calculated by the calculation unit. According to the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to perform yard management by eliminating the inconsistency between the yard map used for controlling the crane and the actual yard state.

[0014] In the above-mentioned yard management device, the output unit may compare the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and if an inconsistency occurs, output a control signal to the crane operation control unit to stop the operation of the crane, and if the inconsistency between the position calculated by the calculation unit and the yard map is resolved after outputting the control signal, output a control signal to the crane operation control unit to resume the operation of the crane. According to the above-mentioned configuration, even if an item is moved without being driven by the autonomous operation of the crane, the autonomous operation of the crane can be continued.

[0015] In the above-mentioned yard management device, the items are input into the production line based on a production instruction, a transport operation of the items by the crane is instructed based on the production instruction, the crane operation control unit controls the crane based on the production instruction to transport the items, the yard map includes position information of the items that are the subject of the transport operation by the crane, and the update unit updates the yard map based on the position of the items moved by the operation of the crane after they have been moved. With the above configuration, it is possible to prevent the crane or the items being transported by the crane from colliding with other items, etc., being transported based on the production instruction.

[0016] In addition, the yard management system of the present invention includes a crane that moves standard items placed in a yard, a sensor provided on the crane that detects items in the yard, a crane operation control unit that operates the crane based on a yard map prepared in advance to manage the position of the items, a calculation unit that calculates the position of the items based on a signal output by the sensor while the main body of the crane is moving, and an output unit that compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit and, if an inconsistency occurs, outputs information regarding the inconsistency.

[0017] According to the above configuration, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual placement of items in the yard, it is possible to prevent the crane or the items it is transporting from colliding with other items in the yard.

[0018] In addition, the yard management method of the present invention is performed by a yard management device, which includes a first step of operating a crane to move standard items placed in a yard based on a yard map prepared in advance to manage the positions of the items, a second step of calculating the position of the item based on a signal output by a sensor provided on the crane while the main body of the crane is moving, and a third step of comparing the yard map with the calculated position and, if an inconsistency occurs, outputting information regarding the inconsistency.

[0019] According to the above configuration, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual placement of items in the yard, it is possible to prevent the crane or the items it is transporting from colliding with other items in the yard.

[0020] The yard management device according to each aspect of the present invention may be realized by a computer. In this case, the control program for the yard management device that realizes the yard management device by causing the computer to operate as each part (software element) of the yard management device, and the computer-readable recording medium on which it is recorded, also fall within the scope of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to one aspect of the present invention, even if a mismatch occurs between the yard map and the actual location of items in the yard, it is possible to prevent the crane or the items it is carrying from colliding with other items in the yard. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a yard management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a yard management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the crane according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a front view of a crane according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a side view of a crane according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] 11A to 11C are diagrams showing specific examples of a yard map and measured yard information, and specific examples of relative yard addresses. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of the slab arrangement shown by the measured yard information and the slab arrangement shown by the yard map. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of the slab arrangement shown by the measured yard information and the slab arrangement shown by the yard map. [Figure 9]FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a yard management method. [Figure 10] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing specific examples of production instructions and transport instructions. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing specific examples of a yard map and measured yard information, and an example of slab placement in a yard. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] [Embodiment 1] <1. Overview of the Yard Management System> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a yard management system 1 according to this embodiment. The yard management system 1 is a system for managing a yard 2 such as a slab yard, and the yard 2 is a storage location where items such as slabs 90 are placed. Note that, although the example of Fig. 1 illustrates a case where a slab 90 is placed in the yard 2, the items placed in the yard 2 are not limited to slabs and may be, for example, other items used in construction.

[0024] The yard management system 1 includes a yard management device 10, a crane controller 20, a sensor controller 30, an operation device 40, a position sensor 51, a height sensor 52, a height sensor 54, and a crane 60. The yard management device 10 has a function of managing the positions of articles placed in the yard 2 in order to properly operate the crane 60. The yard management device 10 also outputs instructions to the crane controller 20 to transport articles and to drive the crane 60.

[0025] The crane controller 20 controls the crane 60 to move the goods placed in the yard 2. The crane controller 20 also outputs the transport performance of the goods by the crane 60 and the actual measured value of the position of the goods based on the output signal of the sensor to the yard management device 10. The yard management device 10 and the crane controller 20 are an example of a yard management device according to the present specification.

[0026] The operation device 40 includes an operation panel or the like that is operated by an operator who manages the yard 2, and supplies information according to the operation content of the operator to the yard management device 10. In addition, the operation device 40 receives an alarm from the yard management device 10, and outputs an image of the alarm on the display device or outputs an alarm sound.

[0027] The position sensor 51, the height sensor 52, and the height sensor 54 are provided on the crane 60 and are sensors for detecting a standardized article placed in the yard 2. The position sensor 51 is a sensor for detecting the position of the crane 60 in the travel direction, and the height sensors 52 and 54 are sensors for detecting the vertical position (height) of the article. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the position sensor 51, the height sensor 52, and the height sensor 54, they are collectively referred to as "sensor 50". The sensor controller 30 supplies signals output by the height sensors 52 and 54 to the crane controller 20. Here, the standardized article is an article whose size and shape are known in advance as a transport target of the crane 60. As an example, the size and shape of the standardized article are registered in advance in the yard management device 10. The standardized article is input into the production line based on a production instruction. Note that the standardized article may be transported to the yard 2 as a temporary storage before being input into the production line. In addition, the production line may be provided in one section of the yard 2.

[0028] The crane 60 moves standardized articles placed in the yard 2. The crane 60 has a controlled operation mode in which it operates under the control of an operator, and an autonomous operation mode in which it operates autonomously under the control of the crane controller 20. These modes are switched, for example, by the operator operating the operation device 40. Hereinafter, the autonomous operation of the crane 60 under the control of the crane controller 20 is also referred to as "automatic operation."

[0029] The crane controller 20 controls the crane 60 to operate autonomously based on a yard map prepared in advance to manage the position of the item in the yard 2, and updates the yard map based on the control content for the crane 60. The crane controller 20 also calculates the position of the item in the yard 2 as an actual measurement value based on the signal output by the sensor 50. The yard management device 10 compares the yard map updated based on the operation of the crane 60 with the actual measurement value calculated based on the output signal of the sensor 50, and outputs information about the inconsistency if an inconsistency occurs. The information about the inconsistency output by the yard management device 10 is, for example, warning information that warns the operator or information indicating the correction content of the yard map, but is not limited to these, and the yard management device 10 may output other information. As described later, the information about the inconsistency is output by an output unit 113 provided in the yard management device 10.

[0030] According to this embodiment, the yard map referred to in controlling the autonomous operation of the crane 60 is compared with the actual measured value of the position of the item calculated from the output signal of the sensor 50, and if an inconsistency occurs, the yard management device 10 outputs information about the inconsistency. For example, if an operator moves an item manually or moves an item by manually operating the crane 60, an inconsistency occurs between the yard map managed by the yard management system 1 and the actual arrangement of items in the yard. Even in such a case, the yard management device 10 outputs information about the inconsistency, thereby preventing problems such as the crane 60 colliding with an item due to the autonomous operation of the crane 60. That is, according to this embodiment, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual arrangement of items in the yard, it is possible to prevent the crane or the item being transported by the crane from colliding with other items in the yard. This makes it possible to perform yard management that can handle both the movement of items due to the autonomous operation of the crane 60 and the movement of items not due to the autonomous operation of the crane.

[0031] <2. Structure of the Yard Management System> (Crane controller configuration) Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the yard management device 10 and the crane controller 20. In Fig. 2, the crane controller 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication IF 23, and an input / output IF 24. The control unit 21 includes a crane control unit 211, an update unit 212, a calculation unit 213, and a transmission unit 214.

[0032] The crane control unit 211 operates the crane 60 based on a yard map prepared in advance to manage the positions of standardized items placed in the yard 2. The crane control unit 211 is an example of a crane operation control unit according to this specification. The yard map is information referenced for controlling the crane 60. The yard map is information for managing the loading status of the yard 2 for the purpose of inventory management and the like, and includes position information of standardized items that are the subject of transport work by the crane 60. The yard map is updated at the timing of the delivery of standardized items from outside the management, the delivery of standardized items to outside the management, and the movement of the standardized items within the management. The yard map is updated each time the crane 60 performs the work of moving a standardized item within the yard 2 and the standardized item moves from the source to the destination.

[0033] The update unit 212 updates the yard map based on the result of the movement of the article by the crane 60. In other words, the update unit 212 updates the yard map based on the position of the article moved by the operation of the crane 60 after the movement.

[0034] The calculation unit 213 calculates the position of the item based on a signal output by the sensor 50 provided on the crane 60 while the main body of the crane 60 is moving. When the crane 60 moves in the negative direction of the y axis (see FIG. 3), the calculation unit 213 calculates the position of the item based on signals output by the position sensor 51 and the height sensor 52 provided at the end of the crane 60 in the traveling direction. When the crane 60 moves in the positive direction of the y axis (see FIG. 3), the calculation unit 213 calculates the position of the item based on signals output by the position sensor 51 and the height sensor 54 provided at the end of the crane 60 in the traveling direction. Hereinafter, information indicating the position calculated by the calculation unit 213 is also referred to as "actual yard information."

[0035] The transmission unit 214 transmits the yard map and the measured yard information to the yard management device 10. The timing at which the transmission unit 214 transmits the yard map and the measured yard information is arbitrary, but as an example, the transmission unit 214 may transmit the above information at every predetermined unit time during the period when the crane 60 is performing automatic operation, or may transmit the above information every time the crane 60 or the traversing crab 62 (see FIG. 3) moves.

[0036] The storage unit 22 stores various data necessary for the processing executed by the crane controller 20. The communication IF 23 is an interface for communicating with other computers. The communication IF 23 may include an interface for communicating with other computers without a network, such as a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface. The communication IF 23 may also include an interface for communicating with other computers via a LAN (Local Area Network), such as a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) interface. An input device and / or an output device are connected to the input / output IF 24. An example of the input / output IF 24 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

[0037] (Configuration of yard management device) 2, the yard management device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication IF 13, and an input / output IF 14. The control unit 11 includes a crane travel instruction unit 111, an acquisition unit 112, an output unit 113, and a correction unit 114.

[0038] The crane travel instruction unit 111 instructs the crane controller 20 to start traveling of the crane 60. The acquisition unit 112 acquires a yard map and actual measured yard information from the crane controller 20, and stores them in the memory unit 12 as a yard map 121 and actual measured yard information 122.

[0039] The output unit 113 determines whether there is an inconsistency between the yard map 121 and the measured yard information 122 acquired by the acquisition unit 112. The output unit 113 compares the yard map 121 with the measured yard information 122, and if an inconsistency occurs, outputs information related to the inconsistency. As an example, the output unit 113 compares the yard map 121 with the measured yard information 122, and if an inconsistency occurs, outputs a control signal to the crane control unit 211 to stop the operation of the crane 60. Also, as an example, the output unit 113 may compare the yard map 121 with the measured yard information 122, and if an inconsistency occurs, output information to notify the operator of the inconsistency.

[0040] When an inconsistency occurs between the yard map 121 and the measured yard information 122, the correction unit 114 corrects the yard map 121 based on at least one of the measured yard information 122 and correction information input by the operator indicating the correction content of the yard map 121. The correction unit 114 is an example of a yard map correction unit according to this specification.

[0041] The storage unit 12 stores various data necessary for the processing executed by the yard management device 10. In particular, the storage unit 12 stores a yard map 121 and measured yard information 122. Specific examples of the yard map 121 and the measured yard information 122 will be described later.

[0042] The communication IF13 is an interface for communicating with other computers. The communication IF13 may include an interface for communicating with other computers without a network, such as a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface. The communication IF13 may also include an interface for communicating with other computers via a LAN (Local Area Network), such as a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) interface. An input device and / or an output device are connected to the input / output IF14. An example of the input / output IF14 is a USB.

[0043] (Crane and sensor configuration) An example of the configuration of the crane 60 and the sensor 50 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 3, Fig. 4, and Fig. 5 are a top view, a front view, and a side view of the crane 60, respectively. In the examples of Figs. 3 to 5, the vertical direction is the z-axis direction, the direction of travel of the crane 60 is the y-axis direction, and the direction of lateral movement is the x-axis direction. Moreover, a view seen from the positive direction of the z-axis is a top view, and a view seen from the negative direction of the y-axis is a front view. Moreover, a view seen from the negative direction of the x-axis is a side view.

[0044] 3 to 5, crane 60 is an overhead crane that travels on rails 71, 72 installed along a wall, and includes a main body 61, a traverse crab 62, and a hoist 63. Note that crane 60 also includes other components (e.g., a traveling device, etc.) in addition to the above, but these are omitted from the illustration here to avoid cluttering the drawings.

[0045] The main body 61 travels on the rails 71, 72 in the travel direction (y-axis direction in the figure). The traverse crab 62 is a crab that moves in the traverse direction (x-axis direction in the figure) and is equipped with a hoisting device (not shown) and a traverse device (not shown). The hoist 63 hoists an object (slabs 91a to 91k, etc.) placed in the yard 2. Alternatively, it is a member that lowers the transported object to the yard 2. The main body 61 of the crane 60 moves in the travel direction and the traverse crab 62 moves in the traverse direction, so that the hoist 63 moves within the yard 2. The crane controller 20 moves the hoist 63 above the object to be moved, and a bucket or the like attached to the hoist 63 grips and moves the object placed in the yard 2.

[0046] The position sensor 51 is a sensor that detects the position (y coordinate) of the crane 60 in the travel direction. The height sensors 52 and 54 are sensors that detect the position (x coordinate) of the crane 60 in the lateral direction and the height (z coordinate) of the goods placed in the yard. The position sensor 51, the height sensor 52, and the height sensor 54 are provided on the main body 61 of the crane 60, and move with the movement of the main body 61. The position (x coordinate, y coordinate, and z coordinate) of the goods present in the yard 2 can be calculated based on the signal output by the position sensor 51 and the signals output by the height sensors 52 and 54 while the crane 60 is moving. Examples of the position sensor 51 and the height sensors 52 and 54 include, but are not limited to, a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor, a Doppler sensor, a line scan sensor, a camera, or other distance measuring sensor. For example, LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) may be used as the height sensors 52 and 54.

[0047] The height sensors 52 and 54 are installed so as to cover the entire x-axis direction of the yard 2. The height sensor 52 is provided at the end of the main body 61 of the crane 60 in the negative x-axis direction and the negative y-axis direction. The height sensor 54 is provided at the end of the main body 61 of the crane 60 in the negative x-axis direction and the positive y-axis direction. When the crane 60 moves in the positive y-axis direction, the height sensor 54 measures the position of the item, and when the crane 60 moves in the negative y-axis direction, the height sensor 52 measures the position of the item. The number and positions of the height sensors that detect the position of the item placed in the yard 2 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3, and the number of height sensors may be greater than that in the example of FIG. 3, and the height sensors may be installed in positions different from those in the example of FIG. 3. The height sensors may be installed in positions that allow the entire yard 2 to be covered by the travel of the crane 60.

[0048] (Yard map and actual yard information) A specific example of the yard map and the measured yard information in the case where the crane 60 moves the slab placed in the yard 2 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of the yard map and the measured yard information, and a specific example of the relative address showing the position of the slab in the yard 2. In the example of FIG. 6, the yard map includes a plurality of records in which the items of "update time", "slab No", "warehousing relative address (column)", "warehousing relative address (row)", "warehousing relative address (height)", "absolute address (travel)", "absolute address (horizontal row)" and "absolute address (height)" are associated with each other. As an example, the update unit 212 updates the yard map every time the crane 60 moves the slab. In this specification, the "warehousing relative address" is a number indicating a row and a column when the position in the yard 2 is expressed by a matrix described later. The "warehousing absolute address" is the coordinate of each slab in the yard 2 when the coordinate of the top left corner of the yard 2 (position P0 in FIG. 6) is (x, y) = (0, 0), and the unit is mm.

[0049] Of these items, the "Update Time" item stores information indicating the time when the yard map was updated. The "Slab No." item stores identification information that identifies the slab placed in yard 2. The "Storage entry relative address (column)" item stores information indicating the position (relative address) in the travel direction (x-axis direction) of the crane 60 in yard 2. The "Storage entry relative address (row)" item stores information indicating the position (address) in the lateral direction (y-axis direction) of the crane 60 in yard 2. The "Storage entry relative address (height)" item stores information indicating the heightwise position of the slab (the number of the slab from the ground).

[0050] As shown in Fig. 6, yard 2 is divided into 1 to 12 in the running direction and 1 to 2 in the lateral direction. A position in the running direction is called a "column", and a position in the lateral direction is called a "row". In the example of Fig. 6, two slabs, "A" and "B", are stacked in row 1, column 6, a slab "C" is placed in row 1, column 9, and a slab "D" is placed in row 2, column 9.

[0051] The "absolute address (running)" item stores information indicating the absolute address of the slab in the running direction. As an example, the update unit 212 calculates the absolute address (running) based on the distance from a reference position. The "absolute address (horizontal)" item stores information indicating the absolute address of the slab in the horizontal direction. As an example, the update unit 212 calculates the absolute address (horizontal) based on the distance from a reference position. The "absolute address (height)" item stores information indicating the height of the slab. As an example, the update unit 212 calculates the sum of the heightwise thicknesses of the slabs stacked at each address as information indicating the height of that address.

[0052] The yard map illustrated in FIG. 6 shows that a slab with "Slab No." "D" is located at relative entry address (row) 2, relative entry address (column) 9, and absolute address (height) 240 at update time t11, a slab with "Slab No." "C" is located at relative entry address (row) 1, relative entry address (column) 9, and absolute address (height) 240 at update time t12, a slab with "Slab No." "B" is located at relative entry address (row) 1, relative entry address (column) 6, and absolute address (height) 240 at update time t13, and a slab with "Slab No." "A" is located at relative entry address (row) 1, relative entry address (column) 6, and absolute address (height) 480 at update time t14.

[0053] 6, the measured yard information includes a plurality of records in which the items "measurement time," "relative entry address (column)," "relative entry address (row)," "absolute address (travel)," "absolute address (traverse)," and "absolute address (height)" are associated with each other. As an example, a record is added each time the crane 60 moves in the travel direction and / or the traverse direction.

[0054] Of these items, the "measurement time" item stores the time when the calculation unit 213 calculated the position based on the output signal of the sensor 50. The "relative entry address (column)" item stores information indicating the position (address) of the crane 60 in the travel direction (x-axis direction) in the yard 2. The "relative entry address (row)" item stores information indicating the position (address) of the crane 60 in the lateral direction (y-axis direction) in the yard 2. The "absolute address (travel)" item stores information indicating the absolute address of the slab in the travel direction. The "absolute address (lateral row)" item stores information indicating the absolute address of the slab in the lateral direction. The "absolute address (height)" item stores information indicating the height of the slab measured at that address (row and column).

[0055] 6 indicates that the slab height measured in 2 rows and 9 columns at time t51 is 240, the slab height measured in 1 row and 9 columns at time t52 is 240, and the slab height measured in 1 row and 6 columns at time t53 is 480. The relative address and absolute address included in the actual yardage information are calculated by calculation unit 213 based on the signals output by position sensor 51 and height sensors 52 and 54.

[0056] (Example of slab placement) Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams showing specific examples of slab arrangements indicated by measured yard information and yard maps. In Figures 7 and 8, the upper part shows the slab arrangements indicated by measured yard information, and the lower part shows the slab arrangements indicated by the yard maps. In the example of Figure 7, the yard map shows that three slabs are stacked in row 1, column 1, three slabs are stacked in row 2, column 1, two slabs are stacked in row 3, column 2, two slabs are stacked in row 1, column 1, two slabs are stacked in row 2, column 2, and three slabs are stacked in row 3.

[0057] On the other hand, the measured yard information indicates that the height of the slab placed in row 1, column 1 is h3, the height of the slab placed in row 1, column 2 is h3, the height of the slab placed in row 1, column 3 is h2, the height of the slab placed in row 2, column 1 is h2, the height of the slab placed in row 2, column 2 is h2, and the height of the slab placed in row 2, column 3 is h3.

[0058] In the state of FIG. 7, for example, suppose that an operator manually moves one of the slabs placed in row 2, column 1 to row 2, column 2. In this case, the measured yardage information calculated from the output signal of the sensor 50 is as shown in FIG. 8. That is, in the example of FIG. 8, the measured yardage information indicates that the height of the slab placed in row 2, column 1 is h1, not h2, and the height of the slab placed in row 2, column 2 is h3, not h2. On the other hand, the contents of the yardage map in FIG. 8 are the same as the contents of the yardage map in FIG. 7. That is, the yardage map in FIG. 8 corresponds to the arrangement of the slabs before the slab in row 2, column 2 was manually moved. For this reason, in the example of FIG. 8, there is an inconsistency between the measured yardage information and the yardage map.

[0059] If the crane controller 20 autonomously operates the crane 60 according to the yard map when there is an inconsistency between the measured yard information and the yard map, problems may occur, such as the hoisting gear 63 of the crane 60 or the slab being held and transported by the hoisting gear 63 of the crane 60 colliding with the slab 90. In this embodiment, the yard management device 10 avoids such problems by outputting information about the inconsistency that has occurred in such a case.

[0060] <3. Flow of yard management method> 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the yard management method. In this embodiment, a slab transport operation by the crane 60 is instructed based on a production instruction (an instruction to input to the production line), and the crane control unit 211 controls the crane 60 based on the production instruction to transport the slab. First, in step S101, the yard management device 10 transmits an instruction to transport the item and run the crane 60 to the crane controller 20. This instruction includes, for example, information indicating the position of the item to be transported before and after the transport, a yard map, size information of the item to be transported, and the like.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a production instruction and a transport instruction. In the example of FIG. 10, the production instruction (instruction to input from yard 2 to the production line) includes one or more records in which the items "sequence," "slab No.", and "production instruction yes / no" are associated with each other. Among these items, the "sequence" item stores information indicating the input sequence to the production line. Note that, for slabs that have already been input to the production line or slabs without production instructions, information may not be stored in the "sequence" item. The "slab No." item stores identification information for identifying the slab. The "production instruction yes / no" item stores information indicating whether input to the production line is instructed. In the example of FIG. 10, the slabs in the yard are such that the slab with "slab No." "A" is located in the upper row, and the slab with "slab No." "B" is located in the lower row. Therefore, in order to input the slab with "slab No." "B" to the production line, it is necessary to move the slab with "slab No." "A" to another location. A "1" in the "Transportation Instruction No." in the transport instruction indicates that the slab should be moved ahead, and a "2" in the "Transportation Instruction No." indicates that the slab should be put into the line.

[0062] For slabs that are instructed to be put into the production line, the production instructions include information indicating the destination location of the slab. In the example of Fig. 10, the information indicating the destination location includes the items "warehouse entry relative address (column)", "warehouse entry relative address (row)", "warehouse entry relative address (height)", "absolute address (running)", "absolute address (row)", and "absolute address (height)", which are mutually associated. The information stored in each of these items is the same as the information stored in each item included in the yard map described above.

[0063] In the example of FIG. 10, the transport instruction includes one or more records in which the items "Transport instruction No.," "Slab No.," "Warehouse entry relative address (column)," "Warehouse entry relative address (row)," "Warehouse entry relative address (height)," "Absolute address (running)," "Absolute address (horizontal row)," and "Absolute address (height)" are associated with each other. Among these items, the "Transport instruction No." item stores identification information that identifies the transport instruction. The "Slab No." item stores identification information that identifies the slab to be transported. Furthermore, the items "Warehouse entry relative address (column)," "Warehouse entry relative address (row)," "Warehouse entry relative address (height)," "Absolute address (running)," "Absolute address (horizontal row)," and "Absolute address (height)" store information indicating the position before transport and information indicating the position after transport for each of the slabs to be transported.

[0064] In step S102 of Fig. 9, the crane controller 20 receives the above-mentioned instruction from the yard management device 10. In step S103, the crane control unit 211 controls the crane 60 based on the received instruction to cause the crane 60 to travel and transport an article. Step S103 is an example of the first step according to this specification. In step S103, for example, a series of controls is performed to move a slab from one position to another position in the yard 2.

[0065] In step S104, the update unit 212 updates the yard map based on the control content for the crane 60 in step S103. In step S105, the calculation unit 213 calculates actual yard information (see FIG. 6) based on the output signal of the position sensor 51 and the output signals of the height sensors 52, 54. Step S105 is an example of the second step related to this specification.

[0066] In step S106, the calculation unit 213 transmits the measured yard information calculated in step S105 to the yard management device 10. Also in step S106, the update unit 212 transmits the yard map updated in step S104 to the yard management device 10. Upon completing the processing of step S106, the calculation unit 213 returns to the processing of step S103 and continues controlling the automatic operation of the crane 60.

[0067] Meanwhile, in step S108, the yard management device 10 receives the measured yard information from the crane controller 20. In addition, in step S109, the yard management device 10 receives the yard map from the crane controller 20. In addition, in step S110, the output unit 113 compares the yard map with the measured yard information to determine whether an inconsistency has occurred. As an example, the output unit 113 determines whether the height of each position determined by rows and columns matches between the yard map and the measured yard information. If the heights match for all positions, the output unit 113 determines that no inconsistency has occurred. On the other hand, if there is a position where the heights do not match, the output unit 113 determines that an inconsistency has occurred.

[0068] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of a yard map and measured yard information in the case where an inconsistency occurs, and an example of the arrangement of slabs in yard 2. In FIG. 11, the yard map shows that a slab with "Slab No." "A" and a slab with "B" are stacked in row 1, column 6, and the absolute address (height) is "480". On the other hand, the measured yard information in FIG. 11 shows that the absolute address (height) in row 1, column 6 is "720". For example, if an operator manually stacks another slab (with "Slab No." "X") on top of the slabs with "Slab No." "A" and "B" in row 1, column 6, the actual absolute address (height) in row 1, column 6 will be "720", but the absolute address (height) in row 1, column 6 of the yard map will remain "480". Thus, in the example of FIG. 11, an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the measured yard information.

[0069] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 9, if no inconsistency occurs in step S110 (NO in step S110), the output unit 113 returns to the process of step S101. That is, the output unit 113 repeatedly executes the process of comparing the measured yard information with the yard map in steps S101 to S110. On the other hand, if an inconsistency occurs between the measured yard information and the yard map (YES in step S110), the crane travel instruction unit 111 transmits an instruction to the crane controller 20 to stop the operation of the crane in step S111.

[0070] In step S112, the crane controller 20 stops the operation of the crane 60. In step S113, the output unit 113 outputs an alarm to the operation device 40. Note that the output unit 113 may output an alarm to a device other than the operation device 40. Steps S111 and S113 are an example of a third step according to the present specification.

[0071] In step S114, the operation device 40 outputs an alarm by displaying an alarm image on the display device or outputting an alarm sound. The operator performs a reconciliation operation to reconcile the yard map with the measured yard information based on the alarm output by the operation device 40. Specifically, as an example, the operator may reconcile the yard map with the measured yard information by operating the operation device 40 to correct the yard map, or may reconcile the actual yard state with the yard map by, for example, moving an item in yard 2 to a position indicated on the yard map.

[0072] When the operator operates the operation device 40 to modify the yard map, the operation device 40 transmits information according to the operation content of the operator to the yard management device 10. The modification unit 114 of the yard management device 10 modifies the yard map based on the information received from the operation device 40.

[0073] In step S115, the operator uses the operation device 40 to perform an operation to instruct the restart of the automatic operation of the crane 60. The operation device 40 instructs the restart of the automatic operation of the crane 60 based on the content of the operation.

[0074] In step S116, the yard management device 10 receives the instruction to resume. In step S117, the crane travel instruction unit 111 instructs the crane controller 20 to remeasure the yard 2.

[0075] In step S118, the crane control unit 211 receives a re-measurement instruction from the yard management device 10. In step S119, the crane control unit 211 runs the crane 60 to re-measure yard 2. As an example, the crane 60 restarts from the current position and runs at least one round trip in the scanning direction, measuring from one end of the yard 2 to the other end with the sensor 50. However, the method of re-measurement is not limited to the above example, and the crane controller 20 may calculate the actual measured yard information by other methods. The calculation unit 213 transmits the calculated actual measured yard information to the yard management device 10.

[0076] In step S120, the output unit 113 of the yard management device 10 determines whether the yard map and the recalculated actual yard information are consistent. This determination process is similar to the determination process in step S110.

[0077] In other words, if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual yard information (YES in step S110), in step S119, the crane control unit 211 moves the main body of the crane 60 back and forth at least once within the yard, the calculation unit 213 recalculates the position of the item within the yard based on the output signal from the sensor 50 obtained by the movement of the main body of the crane 60, and in step S120, the output unit 113 compares the yard map with the actual yard information recalculated by the calculation unit 213.

[0078] In step S120, if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the measured yard information (YES in step S120), the yard management device 10 returns to the process of step S113. On the other hand, if the inconsistency is resolved (NO in step S120), the yard management device 10 proceeds to the process of step S121. In step S121, the yard management device 10 instructs the crane controller 20 to resume automatic operation of the crane 60.

[0079] In other words, in steps S110 to S121, output unit 113 compares the yard map with the position calculated by calculation unit 213, and if an inconsistency occurs (YES in step S110), it outputs a control signal to crane control unit 211 to stop the operation of crane 60 (step S111), and if the inconsistency between the position calculated by calculation unit 213 and the yard map is resolved (NO in step S120) after outputting the control signal, output unit 113 outputs a control signal to crane control unit 211 to resume the operation of crane 60 (step S121). Moreover, output unit 113 repeats steps S113 to S119 until the inconsistency is resolved.

[0080] In step S122, the crane controller 20 resumes automatic operation of the crane. After completing the process of step S122, the crane controller 20 returns to the process of step S102. In step S102, the crane controller 20 waits until it receives the next instruction, and when it receives the instruction, it proceeds to the process of step S103.

[0081] <4. Effects of the Yard Management System> As described above, according to this embodiment, if an inconsistency occurs between the measured yard information and the yard map, the output unit 113 of the yard management device 10 outputs an alarm and performs control to temporarily halt the automatic operation of the crane 60. This makes it possible to prevent the crane or the items it is carrying from colliding with other items in the yard, even if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the actual placement of items in the yard.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the measured yard information, the crane control unit 211 moves the crane 60 within the yard 2, and the calculation unit 213 recalculates the position of the item within the yard based on the output signal from the sensor 50 obtained by moving the crane 60 within the yard 2. If an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the measured yard information, there is a possibility that the inconsistency has occurred not only in one place but also in other places in the yard 2. Therefore, by re-measuring the yard 2, it is possible to prevent the inconsistency between the yard map used to control the crane and the actual yard state from being left unresolved.

[0083] [Modifications] (Variation 1) In the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the yard management system 1 includes the yard management device 10 and the crane controller 20, the yard management device 10 includes the output unit 113 and the correction unit 114, and the crane controller 20 includes the crane control unit 211, the update unit 212, and the calculation unit 213. The functional configuration of the yard management system according to the present specification is not limited to the configuration exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, the functional allocation between the yard management device 10 and the crane controller 20 may be other than that shown in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and more specifically, for example, the correction unit 114 may be provided in the crane controller 20 instead of the yard management device 10. In addition, the correction unit 114 that corrects the yard map and the update unit 212 that updates the yard map may be configured as one unit. In addition, the functions of the yard management device 10 and the functions of the crane controller 20 may be implemented in one device, or may be shared by three or more devices.

[0084] [Software implementation example] The functions of the yard management device 10 and the crane controller 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "devices") can be realized by a program for causing a computer to function as the devices, and by a program for causing a computer to function as each control block of the devices (particularly the control unit 11 and / or each part included in the control unit 21).

[0085] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory) as hardware for executing the program. The control device and storage device execute the program to realize each function described in each of the above embodiments.

[0086] The program may be non-transitory and may be recorded in one or more computer-readable recording media. The recording media may or may not be included in the device. In the latter case, the program may be provided to the device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.

[0087] In addition, some or all of the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit that functions as each of the control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition, the functions of each of the control blocks can be realized by, for example, a quantum computer.

[0088] Furthermore, each process described in each of the above embodiments may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI ​​may be executed by the control device or another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server).

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 Yard Management System 2 yards 10 Yard Management Device 11, 21 Control section 12, 22 Storage section 20 Crane Controller 30 Sensor Controller 40 Operating device 50 Sensors 52, 54 Height sensor 51 Position Sensor 60 Crane 61 Main body 62 Rampaging Club 63 Hanging equipment 71 Rail 90, 91a~91k Slabs 111 Crane travel control unit 112 Acquisition Department 113 Output section 114 Correction Department 121 Yard Map 122 Actual Yardage Information 211 Crane control unit 212 Update Department 213 Calculation Section 214 Transmitter

Claims

1. a crane operation control unit that operates a crane to move an item based on a yard map that is prepared in advance to manage the positions of standard items placed in the yard; A calculation unit that calculates a position of the article based on a signal output from a sensor provided on the crane while the main body of the crane is moving; an output unit that compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and if an inconsistency occurs, outputs information regarding the inconsistency; A yard management device comprising:

2. The yard management device according to claim 1 , further comprising an update unit that updates the yard map based on a result of movement of the article by the crane.

3. The output unit compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and when an inconsistency occurs, outputs a control signal to the crane operation control unit to stop the operation of the crane. The yard management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The output unit compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and when an inconsistency occurs, outputs information notifying an operator of the inconsistency. The yard management device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a yardage map correction unit that corrects the yardage map based on at least one of the position calculated by the calculation unit and correction information representing the correction content of the yardage map input by an operator when an inconsistency occurs between the yardage map and the position calculated by the calculation unit; The yard management device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

6. When an inconsistency occurs between the yard map and the position calculated by the calculation unit, The crane operation control unit moves the main body of the crane back and forth at least once within the yard, The calculation unit recalculates the position of the article in the yard based on an output signal from the sensor obtained by movement of the main body of the crane, The output unit compares the position recalculated by the calculation unit with the yard map. The yard management device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The output unit compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and when an inconsistency occurs, outputs a control signal to the crane operation control unit to stop the operation of the crane; When an inconsistency between the position calculated by the calculation unit and the yard map is resolved after outputting the control signal, the output unit outputs a control signal to the crane operation control unit to resume operation of the crane. The yard management device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The article is input into a production line based on a production instruction, Based on the production instruction, a transport operation of the item by the crane is instructed; The crane operation control unit controls the crane based on the production instruction to transport the item, The yard map includes position information of the item that is the target of the transport operation by the crane, The update unit updates the yard map based on a position of the item moved by the operation of the crane after the item is moved. The yard management device according to claim 2.

9. A crane for moving standard items placed in the yard; A sensor provided on the crane for detecting an object in the yard; a crane operation control unit that operates the crane based on a yard map that is prepared in advance to manage the position of the article; A calculation unit that calculates a position of the article based on a signal output by the sensor during movement of the main body of the crane; an output unit that compares the yard map with the position calculated by the calculation unit, and if an inconsistency occurs, outputs information regarding the inconsistency; A yard management system comprising:

10. A first step of operating a crane to move a standardized item based on a yard map prepared in advance for managing the location of the item in the yard; A second step of calculating a position of the article based on a signal output by a sensor provided on the crane during movement of the main body of the crane; a third step of comparing the yard map with the calculated location and, if an inconsistency occurs, outputting information regarding the inconsistency; The yard management method is executed by the yard management device.

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